Trans-Siberian Route Description

The following summarizes the stops along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok.

Moscow:
Industrial and commercial city, capital of the Russian Federation. It is the main political, economic, and cultural centre of Russia. From the early 14th century onwards, Moscow has been the seat of the Patriarchs and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The 12th-century Kremlin (‘Citadel’), at the centre of the city on the north bank of the river, is Moscow's main landmark. Red Square, adjoining the Kremlin on the northeast, contains St Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's tomb and was formerly the scene of Soviet military parades.
Vladimir: distance from Moscow: 209 km/130 miles; travel time: 2h 30min.
Traditionally, the founding date of Vladimir has been acknowledged as 1108. Now it is a part of the Golden ring of the ancient Russian cities and a significant tourist center. Its three chief monuments, White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List, are the following: 1. The magnificent five-domed Assumption Cathedral. 2. The warrior-like cathedral of St. Demetrius was built in 1194–1197. 3. The Golden Gate, originally a tower over the city's main gate, was built in 1158–1164.
Nizhny Novgorod: distance from Moscow: 461 km/286 miles; travel time: 6h 30 min.
The city was founded by Grand Duke Yuri II of Russia in 1221 at the confluence of two most important rivers of his principality, the Volga and the Oka. Its name literally means Lower Newtown, to distinguish it from the older Novgorod. A major stronghold for border protection, in the mid-19th century, the city on the Volga was firmly established as the trade capital of the Russian Empire.
Kirov: distance from Moscow: 917 km/570 miles; travel time: 12h 50 min.
Formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov situated just west from the Ural Mountains, was founded by Novgorodian entrepreneurs in 1374. Incorporated into Muscovy in 1489. It became known throughout Russia for its clay statuettes and whistles. The town's oldest surviving monument is the Assumption Cathedral (1689). By the end of the 19th century, it was an important station on the Trans-Siberian railway.
Perm: distance from Moscow: 1397 km/868 miles; travel time: 20h 10 min.
Perm lies about 800 miles east of Moscow on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains, and stretches along both sides of the Kama River. Perm was founded in 1568 as the village, Lagoshikha. Since 1756, Perm has been a center for Russia’s military manufacturing. By 1781, it was established as the administrative center of the northern Urals and gateway to Siberia.
Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk): distance from Moscow: 1778 km/1,104 miles; travel time: 26h 20min.
Russia’s third largest city and the capital of the Urals. Sverdlovsk oblast is one of the most developed and advanced regions in Russia. It is very rich in minerals and raw materials and is a heavily industrialized area. Yekaterinburg, still called by its Soviet name Sverdlovsk in rail timetables, is an important railway junction on the Trans-Siberian Railway, with lines radiating to all parts of the Urals and the rest of Russia.
Tyumen: distance from Moscow: 2104 km/1,307 miles; travel time: 30h 30min.
Tyumen was the first Russian town in Siberia, founded in 1586 on the site of the Tatar town of Chimgi-Tura by Feodor I of Russia. In the 17th–18th centuries, Tyumen became an important trade center, as well as an important leather goods and handcraft making town. The city was considered the richest Russian town in the pre-Soviet era. Today it’s an oil and gas capital.
Omsk: distance from Moscow: 2676 km/1,663 miles; travel time: 37h 50min.
Originally built as a fortification for Russia’s southern border by Peter the Great's guardsman Ivan Buchholz; when in spring of 1716 he and his detachment made a landing on the shore of the Irtysh, at the place where this powerful Siberian river joins the quiet Om. Thus, was founded the town of Omsk, which in our day has become the largest industrial and cultural center in Siberia.
Novosibirsk: distance from Moscow: 3303 km/2,052 miles; travel time: 45h 30min.
The Siberia region’s largest city was founded in 1893. Novosibirsk is the third main cultural and scientific center in Russia (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) and also is a home to the famous University of Novosibirsk. The city is developing quite rapidly, and is considered to be the capital of Siberia. The area around Novosibirsk and the Altai Mountains hold some incredible nature for the outdoorsmen.
Krasnoyarsk: distance from Moscow: 4065 km/2,525 miles; travel time: 57h 20 min.
Krasnoyarsk is turning into one of the most attractive regions in Russia for both Russian and foreign tourists. The region offers a unique combination of beautiful rivers and mountains, clean air, hunting and fishing, architectural sites and the ethnic culture of a unique northern nation.
Angarsk: distance from Moscow: 5113 km/3,177 miles; travel time: 74h 20min.
Angarsk was founded in 1948 as an industrial community and became a city on May 30, 1951. Angarsk has the largest industrial zone in Asia. It includes Angarsk Petrochemical Complex and Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex. The city is home to the Angarsk Museum of Clocks and Watches, the Angarsk Museum of Victory, and the Angarsk State Technical Academy. Angarsk also hosts a showcase international nuclear fuel cycle centre, which will be one of the first Russian enrichment centrers to be placed under IAEA safeguards.
Irkutsk: distance from Moscow: 5153 km/3,202 miles; travel time: 75h 20min.
Irkutsk grew out of the winter quarters established (1652) by Yakov Pokhabov for gold-trading and for the collection of the fur tax from the Buryats. The town gained official city rights from the government in 1686. During the past centuries Siberia, with its severe climate, has had a reputation as the place for exile. Irkutsk is home to Irkutsk State Railway Transport University
Baikalsk: distance from Moscow: 5360 km/3,330 miles; travel time: 78h 40min.
Baikalsk is home to a popular ski and snowboard resort.
Ulan-Ude: distance from Moscow: 5609 km/3,485 miles; travel time: 84h 20min.
Ulan-Ude, founded in 1666, is a capital of the Buryt Autonomous Republic, which in the 13 - 17th centuries was a part of the vast Mongolian Empire. This a classic example of the Eastern influence in Russia.
- In Ulan-Ude, the Trans-Siberian splits into two different directions:
1) South though Guisinoye Ozero, Djida, Naushki (Russia) to Ulan-Bataar (Mongolia) to Beijing (China) Trans Mongolian.
2) East through Chita to Vladivostok � Trans-Siberian.
Chita: distance from Moscow: 6166 km/3,831 miles; travel time: 93h 50min.
The city is known as a settlement Ingodinskoye Zimovie since 1653, as a town - since 1686. Today Chita is considered the capital of Transbaikalie. The famous mineral springs Darasun, Kuka and Molokovka are only several kilometers away from Chita and with a number of resorts and tourist camps built around them they attract people from all over Russia. For a time, closed to foreign visitors because of its proximity to the Chinese border and its military industry, Chita is now an attractive spot for those traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Birobidzhan: distance from Moscow: 8320 km/5,170 miles; travel time: 133h 20min.
- Evreiskaya region ends and Khabarovsky krai begins at 8481 km.
- Crosses Amur River at 8482 via the longest Trans-Siberian bridge (2612 meters) immediately following a long tunnel.
Khabarovsk: distance from Moscow: 8493 km/5,277 miles; travel time: 135h 40min.
Located on the Amur River which bounds Russia and China, it�s a nice, friendly town and a good break from the time on the train.
Vladivostok: distance from Moscow: 9259 km/5,753 miles; travel time: 149h 19min.
In 1860, an army squad landed on the bank of the Zolotoy Rog (Golden Horn) bay and built barracks; it was the first building in Vladivostok. Often compared to San Francisco due to the many hills and ocean views, Vladivostok ("Ruler of the East" from the Russian words vladet and vostok) is one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. As one of only four major seaports, with extensive fishing rights, it also has tremendous potential for economic growth. Vladivostok is Russia's window to Asia, as it is located less than 100km east of the Chinese border, and just across the Sea of Japan from the main Japanese island of Honshu.